Currently on my Bedside Table


I swear -- everytime I read Neil Gaiman, my dreams become extra vivid and a lot more lucid. He is the true Sandman and dream weaver. He's one of those very few gifted writers that speak the language of dreams rather eloquently. I'm only a couple of chapters into the book already it’s fantastic.

I bought the book for 70 pesos at a garage sale a couple of blocks from my house, right beside a barbecue stand. I was browsing through some unknown authors while waiting for my barbecue to be cooked and I found Neil Gaiman in the pile. It was a gloomy day and the book cover seemed to reflect the clouds like a side mirror. You just can’t go wrong with buddy Neil. He’s a rockstar.
Prior to American Gods, I finished this book:



The first couple of chapters were boring, but it was fine -- the point was to help me fall asleep anyway. After 5 chapters, I found myself sleeping one or two hours past my bedtime. It's highly engaging, it has a unique take on magic and it is also quite fascinating and relateable even when the writing and humor is old English ala-Sherlock Holmes circa 1891.

This next book always gives me nightmares. Or at the very least, I wake up from a dream feeling very confused. It's a weird feeling to feel confused immediately upon waking up. 

11 coumouents:

Fickle Cattle said...

I love neil gaiman. I have practically all his books. And the complete sandman series. My favorite is Neverwhere (novel).

ficklecattle.blogspot.com

Désolé Boy said...

would love to get my hands on those neil gaiman's.

kwento ka pagkatapos. o kaya peram. hihi

Eternal Wanderer... said...

american gods is fab if you're into the whole mythology thing ;)

p.s. try to look for fragile things and anansi boys :D

Advent said...

Try Gaiman's Anansi Boys and the Graveyard Book for something a little more light hearted. Oh and the whole Sandman Chronicles. That left my dream state more whacked out than what was shown in Inception.

Mike said...

I love Neil Gaiman's novels especiall that American Gods. There is a copy of this book which has a special cover and the heck even if it spared me 100SGD. it's one great book. :)

red the mod said...

His words are weaved so intricately that the imagery becomes so vivid, its almost palpable. He has that luxurious grasp of the language that can only come from a deeply visual mind.

I enjoyed American Gods so much that I was able to include quotes and theories from it in my thesis back in college. I also liked how he was able to include a homosexual side story in the plot. Watch out for his discussion on maps, and places. It was so beautifully expounded.

Neverwhere got me goosebumps too. I've always gravitated towards the absurd and fantastic. And noone does parallel realities better than Gaiman. The mythic context only makes it more accessible, like a foil.

If I had the funds, I'd collect both his graphic and literary works.

Oh, and Good Omens (co-authored with Terry Pratchett) is just hilariously delectable. :)

engel said...

i love gaiman's Graveyard Book and Anansi Boys. Now if only the people who borrowed it would learn to return them. sigh.

imsonotconio said...

di ko cya like i dont know y sori

casado said...

u got me interested in reading American Gods..mahanap nga sa BOrders mmya hehe :P

Johnny Cursive said...

@ fickle: we actually used parts of the sandman series in our philo class back in college. So cool :)

@ desole: sure! hehe.

@ ternie: hmm im thinking about fragile things for lavatory literature. One short story per pupu session.

@ mike: yeah it's a cool book! i'm enjoying it a lot ;)

@ red: neverwhere might be the next book i'm going to read =D and yeah i've read good omens already; but we already talked about that during the enkanto inuman last sat :P

@ engel: yeah. Nobody returns borrowed books anymore :(

@ imsonotconio: hey it's cool :) to each his own, right? or maybe all it takes is the right gaiman book

@ soltero: gaiman can't go wrong, bro! astig yun. tapos may gay scene. haha.

Two-Faced Deity said...

Johnny, I'm your newest follower... My first time to browse through several blogsites and yours was the only one I decided to follow. Neil Gaiman was the first reason, never mind the others.

I've read almost all his books, including Coraline and M is for Magic.